Gemalto Addresses Consumer Concerns Ahead of Biometric Card Rollouts

As excitement around emerging biometric payment card technologies continues to build, Gemalto is taking the precaution of reassuring cautious and skeptical consumers about the reliability of fingerprint-scanning cards in a new myth-busting FAQ.

First among the many items of concern is the idea that biometric cards could be easily spoofed, with Gemalto asserting that its solution “cannot be fooled by a 2D replication of your fingerprint.” Gemalto’s post also goes to great lengths to make sure that consumers understand that their biometric information won’t be shared, noting that it “is securely captured onto your card” at the time of registration, and is never sent to a bank server or shared with anyone when a purchase is made.

The post also addresses some more obscure concerns. Addressing the idea that fingerprints can be altered through strenuous physical labor, Gemalto points out that its technology uses “a dynamic solution that regularly updates the fingerprint template stored in the card,” meaning it can adjust to gradual changes in biometric features. Meanwhile, individuals who are concerned that they won’t be able to share payment cards – for corporate purchases, for example – can rest assured that Gemalto’s new biometric cards “still have the PIN option,” allowing for chip-based purchases.

The full post is a useful bit of PR as major companies like Mastercard and Gemalto’s partner Visa race to bring biometric payment cards to the mass market. They’re bound to face at least a little resistance from the more wary members of the marketplace, but with a growing number of consumers familiar with fingerprint authentication through their smartphones, the majority likely won’t even need the reassurance offered in Gemalto’s new myth-busting post.

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July 18, 2018 – by Alex Perala